


Underneath the Maple Tree

by Nozoroomie



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Angst, F/F, Gods/reincarnation au, Implied Death, Multi, Ot3rd years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nozoroomie/pseuds/Nozoroomie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eli hoped the next time she ventured to their sacred place would be after reuniting with all their friends to make the journey home. Unfortunately, fate wasn't kind to the old fox god.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underneath the Maple Tree

**Author's Note:**

> A vent fic that I turned out liking enough to upload here. If you're curious about more details on this au shoot me an ask or tweet @nozoroomie on tumblr and twitter!

The walk through the portal is nostalgic for Eli. It’s been many years since she stepped through this portal and into the open meadow with the large maple tree at the top of the hill. After marking seven graves for her friends with one of her beloved’s, she hoped the next time she ventured here would be after reuniting with all their friends, the nine of them coming together for the first time in centuries and returning to the place they came from. Unfortunately for Eli, fate wasn’t kind to the old fox god.

 In her arms she carries the cold, unconscious body of the same girl who helped her mark the graves. The one who stayed with her every step of the way. The one who found their friends and missing lover all over again, and worked harder than anyone to bring them back together. The only one she hadn’t watched die until earlier. Her one and only Nozomi. No tears stream from the blondes eyes as she accepts the chances of Nozomi waking up from her deep sleep were unlikely.

 Following her through the portal, a ginger haired girl carries a second body. Her blue eyes reflect the guilt and sadness she feels, being unable to do anything but help the fox god take the bodies to where they would rest. The girl in her arms met the same fate as the one in Eli’s, thanks to her life connection to Nozomi. Nozomi brought her back from the dead, it was only natural that if Nozomi was gone, she would be too. The other piece of Eli’s heart belonged to this small girl -the one and only Yazawa Nico- and she and Nozomi worked endlessly to restore her to who she was instead of watching her die a second time. 

 Thanks to Nozomi’s resurrection and the life bond they had, now Eli was left alone without the two people she needed most. The two who were her only source of comfort and love for so many years. The two who reminded her what she tirelessly worked to achieve in all the years she lived in the mortal world. They were her everything, and now that they weren’t with her Eli had nothing. 

 Eli silently wonders if this was a divine punishment. A sick joke from the other gods who watched them struggle to return to their home world. As she makes her way up the hill, her ginger haired friend only paces behind, Eli accepts the fate that had been presented to her. The wheels of fortune that tirelessly spun forward stopped abruptly and began turning counter clockwise. Her one mission in life, to reunite everyone and return home, had been pushed back again. Years of searching for one another, yearning to hear the voices of their missing friends, to see their smiling faces, to sing together as they used to, were wasted. Thanks to selfish humans and their selfish needs, Eli was back at the beginning with nobody but herself to blame. She should’ve been more careful. She should have protected Nozomi. She should have protected Nico.

 She couldn’t do this again. Not without them.

“Do you know what this place is, Honoka?” Eli’s voice is deep, but soft. It echoes throughout the empty meadow as the two reach the maple tree that waited at the top of the hill.

The ginger haired girl, Honoka, holds Nico effortlessly as she glances around.

“It’s familiar.” She mumbles. “It feels warm. Pleasant. It reminds me of something that I might’ve had a long time ago but…” Honoka’s voice trails off and she looks away from Eli.

“I’m sorry, I really can’t put a finger on it.” 

Eli smiles sadly. It was an expected answer.

“This is a sacred land. Our sacred land.” Eli begins. “It’s only my own creation and it doesn’t completely resemble the meadow that waits for us back home, but it’s beautiful, don’t you think?”

 Honoka nods, despite Eli being unable to see the gesture. She watches Eli glance past where the portal was, the body still and unmoving in her arms as she spoke again.

“We marked the graves of your past selves by that cluster of trees over there.” Eli whispers. “Nozomi, Nico and I always liked to watch you from the hill. It made sense to us to bury you in the place you all loved to play most.”

Honoka turns to Eli, lips quivering at the mention of something so important. It was a shame that she really couldn’t remember it clearly, but she knew it was true. She trusted the fox god with all of her being. If it wasn’t for her, she never would have recollected she too belonged to the world of the gods. 

“This way.” Eli speaks again, changing the topic and walking towards the tree. Honoka wordlessly follows, adjusting Nico carefully in her arms as she and Eli stopped at the foot of the tree.

 Eli sets Nozomi down first, placing her carefully on her back underneath the shade of the tree. Her eyes are shut and her lips are sealed in a small, thin line. No movements of any sort could wake her now. The fox god brushes some loose strands of hair to the side, planting a kiss on the top of her head and standing up. Eli steps away after a moment, moving to Honoka and holding her arms out to the ginger haired girl. 

 Without any prompting Honoka places the tiny, fragile body of Eli’s black haired love into her arms carefully. The blonde thanks her and takes a moment to herself as she holds the second body close for a moment, shutting her eyes and staying quiet as she gently hugs the almost lifeless girl. Honoka watches on with sad eyes as Eli pulls away, placing a gentle kiss on Nico’s forehead before moving to place her down next to their other love. Eli adjusts them so Nico rests directly next to Nozomi, the black haired girl’s head tucked against Nozomi’s shoulder and Nozomi’s hand loosely holding Nico’s.

 After that’s been done, Eli rests on her knees on Nozomi’s other side, looking down to them with sadness and longing. It was possible Eli would have to continue on, for thousands and thousands of more years before she would ever be able to see bright red and vivid green eyes looking back to her with love or hear the melodious and contagious laughter the two of them produced. The two of them were her happiness as the years passed by for them. Eli couldn’t do this without either of them by her side. This mission was too much for her now. She glances to Honoka, who stands with her hands linked together in front of her as she watches Eli with a worried gaze. 

“Honoka…” Eli begins, a realization dawning on her. “You’re help is very much appreciated. Thank you for keeping us as safe as you could and helping with what you did. I will never forget it.”

“I’ve been here for quite a while doing my best to fulfill our mission. To bring us all home. When I was about to give up, Nozomi came to me. Shortly after that Nico, and pretty soon all of us were reunited again. Not all of us understood what we really were, but I was happy. I thought maybe that’s what destiny had planned for us. But then everyone but Nozomi was taken, and we had to start over again.” Eli takes in a small breath, her eyes softening as she looked to Honoka apologetically.

“This will be the third time I’ve had to start over, and I’ll be all alone this time around.” She gives the ginger haired girl a sad smile before turning to her attention to the girls who lay in front of her.

“You aren’t alone, Eli-chan. I’m.. I’m here. I know who I was- no, I know who I am. I’m the bear god! And you’re the fox god! We’ll get everybody back together again! I remember!” Honoka’s speech is encouraging, but Eli can sense the hint of uncertainty in it. 

“Yes. That’s right, you remember too.” Eli repeats Honoka’s words before silence falls over them.

The wind is gentle as it blows through their hair and rustles the leaves of the tree above them. Eli takes in the cool air from the breeze and exhales slowly, making her decision.

“It’s time for me to rest too.” She says quietly. Honoka can only barely hear her words and she looks at Eli with wide eyes.

“What do you mean, Eli?” 

Eli’s tiny smile is still on her face as she reaches over to adjust Nico’s bangs.

“I can’t do this without them. I never could. I’m useless on my own.” Eli confesses. “But there’s someone I was hoping to pass this onto. Someone who could continue on in my place. Someone I trust with my life.”

There’s a stronger gust of wind as Honoka slowly understands Eli’s unasked question. Her lips quiver but she stays strong and nods, a determined glint in her eyes.

“You can leave it to me, Eli-chan.” Honoka answers without another moment to consider it. “I don’t know where to begin, but I’ll bring everyone home. I’ll bring everyone here to you and to Nozomi-chan and Nico-chan. We’ll all go home together. All nine of us.”

Eli gives Honoka wider smile, her eyes clouding with tears.

“Thank you.” She whispers. “I’m entrusting it to you. I believe you’ll be able to do it better than I ever could have.”

“You’ve already done most of the work.” Honoka replies with her own smile. “I’ll take care of it now. You rest with them, okay?”

For the first time, Eli laughs. Honoka smiles slightly, despite knowing what she was about to witness.

“How are you gunna..?” She pauses halfway through her speech, wondering if it might be impolite to ask Eli such a personal question.

“It will be just like going to sleep.” Eli explains. “I’ll shut my mortal body down, and delve into a comatose state like theirs. My connection with Nozomi and Nico is stronger than anything. If and when they wake up, I’ll wake up with them too.”

 She lies herself down next to Nozomi on her side, gazing at her two resting loves with a final gaze.

“Thank you again, Honoka. I’m sorry for pushing this onto you.”

“Don’t be, Eli-chan.” Honoka reassures, watching as Eli’s eyes began to droop. “Even gods need time to rest too.”

 Eli laughs tiredly, laying herself down completely next to Nozomi. She shuffles herself closer to them, the soft grass brushing against her warm skin. She places an arm around her loves, her hand resting perfectly atop Nico’s and Nozomi’s. She takes in a deep breath and slowly exhales, letting her powers do their thing as her heart rate begins to slow down ever so slightly.

 In her final moments of consciousness, Eli is aware of Honoka stepping over to them and watching as she slowly begins to drift off. There’s a smile on Honoka’s face as a single tear falls down and Eli watches her mouth the words ‘they’re smiling’ before her energy is gone and she closes her eyes one last time. 

Eli would never know that as she and her loves rested, the lips of Nozomi and Nico became tiny but beautiful smiles.

* * *

 

When she opens her eyes again, she’s in an open field in the mortal world in the form of a bright yellow fox with a golden glow surrounding her. She looks around to find nobody next to her, and in a moment of panic she pushes herself onto her paws, looking around worriedly. She lets out one, loud yip, pausing as she waits for a reply. In the not so far distance a reply comes and her head and ears swivel around to the tall grass next to where she awoke. 

 Before she can even push herself towards it, a black and white rabbit springs out, a pink glow surrounding her as she collides her head painfully into Eli’s fur. The fox doesn’t hesitant to lean down, nuzzling its muzzle against the small fluffy creature and placing an affectionate kiss on her head.

 There’s a bit of rustling and the two of them glance over to see a violet tanuki push through the tall grass. She wears a lazy smile and both Eli and the rabbit move over to her. Eli takes a moment to nuzzle her lovingly, her eyes clouding with happiness as she’s reunited with the two she lost. Nico hops up from the ground atop Eli’s fur and together with Nozomi the three of them wander into the grass, ready for wherever their subconscious forms decided to take them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, kudos and reviews! If you google Japanese Maple tree the first few images that pop up are how you should picture the tree they rest under.


End file.
